William Stafford
William Stafford
Prolific American poet and 1970 U.S. Poet Laureate who won the National Book Award for Traveling Through the Dark. His numerous other works include In the Clock of Reason, Brother Wind, Passwords, and Wyoming Circuit.
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth17 January 1914
CountryUnited States of America
awake breaking darkness discourage line maybe people signals yes
For it is important that awake people be awake,or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;the signals we give -- yes or no, or maybe --should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.
half
It's love," they say. You touchthe right one and a whole half of the universewakes up, a new half.
ocean roll wash
The ocean and I have many pebblesTo find and wash off and roll into shape.
common heroes locate ourselves time
It is time for all the heroes to go homeif they have any, time for all of us common onesto locate ourselves by the real thingswe live by.
common heroes home locate ourselves time
It is time for all the heroes to go home if they have any, time for all of us common ones to locate ourselves by the real things we live by.
dream fire matter save somewhere
When I dream at night, they save a place for me,no matter how small, somewhere by the fire.
dream matter save somewhere
When I dream at night, they save a place for me, no matter how small, somewhere by the fire.
gain led pure time
We are led one thing at a time to that pure gain -- all that we lose.
american-poet
I'll be me, but I don't like it.
american-poet people starts
I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is, why did other people stop?
face life slant takes
They tell how it was, and how timecame along, and how it happenedagain and again. They tellthe slant life takes when it turnsand slashes your face as a friend.
again came face happened life slant takes time turns
They tell how it was, and how time came along, and how it happened again and again. They tell the slant life takes when it turns and slashes your face as a friend.
answer dark matter miss whisper
They miss the whisper that runsany day in your mind,"Who are you really, wanderer?"and the answer you have to giveno matter how dark and coldthe world around you is:"Maybe I'm a king.
happens legends twice
So, the world happens twice --once what we see it as;second it legends itselfdeep, the way it is.